Be careful what you hook up. Aside from picking some vicious industrial garbage,
you can bring to the surface some strange and unmentionable things. Most
fishermen will happily brag about an extraordinary big fish (and we'll show
plenty of those in this article). But sometimes the catch is so bizarre, that
they'd rather try to forget it over a drink or two.

"Larger than life" (but hopefully still real) catches

We all know that the size of our largest catch is only limited to how wide we
can stretch our arms, and how gullible your friends are. A picture would usually
prove your story, if you don't mind occasional "this is Photoshop... I can tell
by the pixels" comments:

(a whale shark, not that big either)

Catfish the size of a small car? Well, almost.

"The World's Largest Catfish" catch happened in Thailand:
(more info - that is a 646-pound Mekong giant catfish)

(photo by Suthep Kritsanavarin)

This is, by the way, officially the largest freshwater fish ever caught...

Here are more record catfish catches:
(images credit: euro-som.de)

This one was caught in France: 106kg, 2.5 meters

Spain: 101kg

Germany: 83kg, 2.2 meters

Kazakhstan: 130kg, 2.6 meters

"Fish in Distress" Needs Saving

According to this source an eight-inch basketball was stuck in a catfish' mouth
- the 50-pound fish could not swim or dive, so Wichita resident Bill Driver used
a knife to poke the hole in the ball and deflate it:

(photos credit: Michael Pearce, Wichita Eagle, 2004)

This fish is also asking for trouble:

More fish misadventures:

The Cutest of the Bunch

Aww! Look at this friendly whale! -

Here is a baby stingray that you'll remember for the rest of your week,
guaranteed:

(original unknown)

(photo by Jeffrey N. Goldsmith)

White Eye Morel Eel:

(image credit: Frances Tan)

Another "alien" on Earth: pretty endearing sea dragon (a Triops) -

(image credit: Steve Jurvetson)

The Blue Dragon - pelagic sea slug:

(original unknown)

The cutest of them all: an Axolotl - a freshwater salamander:

The one with the biggest "cuteness factor" is the albino - white, almost
transparent Axolotl. They are priceless creatures (made to be worshiped by
Japanese schoolgirls)

Most Vicious of the Bunch

We all know this is "fish-eats-fish" world -

Sharks... awesome creatures:

The "flying sharks" pictorial is something not to be missed - see it here:

(image credit: National Geographic)

Goliath Tiger Fish:

Want to catch the wickedest-looking fish, and snap pictures that are going to be
forwarded by scared grandmas all over the internet?

Go to the Congo River (or Lake Tanganyika in Central Africa) and try to catch a
Goliath Tiger Fish (aka African tigerfish or giant tigerfish), or Hydrocynus
Goliath. Just make sure not to go swimming in these waters, as this kind of fish
indeed is known to attack humans (the only freshwater fish in Africa that would
do so) -

(images source)

This company will set up a fishing expedition for you.
There is plenty of toothy fish in these waters:

The Ugliest of the Bunch

These live mostly at significant depths, so it's highly unlikely that they will
be fished out. But if you do, then - don't make a false move in your boat:

This giant grouper is not really ugly, but rather imposing with its 5-foot size:

(image credit: Frances Tan)

Going Deeper - See the spell-binding gallery of "creatures of the abyss

(image credit: Edith Widder)

(image credit: David Shale)

Here is a really ugly monk-fish (which a lot of people consider a delicacy!) -

(image credit: Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources)

Hope this aquarium has thick glass:

(art installation by Damien Hirst)

Speaking of ugly catches, you might have seen already the infamous "Mr. Blobby":

(image credit: K. Parkinson, NORFANZ)

"A Fathead (genus Psychrolutes) trawled during the NORFANZ expedition at a depth
between 1013 m and 1340 m, on the Norfolk Ridge, north-west of New Zealand, June
2003"

Fish Tales

This fish was given the opportunity to speak out (as part of 1945 research).
Must be some hair-raising tales, judging by how scared it looks.